Abstract
To investigate the long-term survival rate of node-positive (pN+) breast cancer treated by locoregional therapy alone, we made an attempt to identify all such patients followed up for at least 15 years after treatment in a defined geographical area (city of Turku, Southwestern Finland) and time period (1945-79) using the files of the local hospitals and the Finnish Cancer Registry. The clinical and autopsy records and histological slides of 1172 women diagnosed with breast cancer in the city were reviewed. From this cohort we identified 339 women with unilateral node-positive breast cancer treated with locoregional therapy without systemic adjuvant therapy. The relative survival rate of the cohort compared with the general female population matched for age and year of follow-up was calculated. The 15- and 30-year survival rates corrected for known intercurrent deaths were 26% (95% CI, 21-31%) and 21% (16-26%) respectively, and the relative survival rates 23% and 21% respectively. None of the patients with pN2 disease survived for 15 years, whereas the 30-year corrected survival rate in pN1 disease was 24% (18-30%). Women with pT1N1M0 cancer had as high as 59% (43-75%) 15-year survival rate corrected for intercurrent deaths. A trend for improving survival was found by the decade of diagnosis. The results indicate that a considerable proportion of women with pN1 breast carcinoma treated with locoregional therapy alone become 30-year survivors and are probably cured. Adequate locoregional treatment is mandatory in the care of node-positive breast cancer.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 24 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $10.79 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Joensuu, H., Pylkkänen, L. & Toikkanen, S. Long-term survival in node-positive breast cancer treated by locoregional therapy alone. Br J Cancer 78, 795–799 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1998.581
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1998.581
This article is cited by
-
Prognostic relevance of peritumoral vascular invasion in immunohistochemically defined subtypes of node-positive breast cancer
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment (2014)
-
St Gallen molecular subtypes in primary breast cancer and matched lymph node metastases - aspects on distribution and prognosis for patients with luminal A tumours: results from a prospective randomised trial
BMC Cancer (2013)
-
Biomarker expression and St Gallen molecular subtype classification in primary tumours, synchronous lymph node metastases and asynchronous relapses in primary breast cancer patients with 10 years’ follow-up
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment (2013)
-
Patients With Positive Axillary Lymph Nodes: How to Use Genomic Assays
Current Treatment Options in Oncology (2012)
-
The 70-gene prognosis-signature predicts disease outcome in breast cancer patients with 1–3 positive lymph nodes in an independent validation study
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment (2009)